Longtime coin dealer still flips over rare finds

For some, it was Superman No. 1. For others, it was the 1952 Topps Mantle rookie card. For 12-year-old Michael Sprouse, it was an exotic coin a neighbor brought back from Iran.

Unlike most boyhood hobbies, though, Sprouse's interest in rare and fascinating coins has never faded with age, and he is still collecting them as an adult 41 years later. In fact, for the past 17 years he has made a trade of it in Cape Girardeau, trafficking in buffalo nickels, Mercury dimes and Standing Liberty quarters.

"After that Iran coin, I started noticing coins that were different or that I thought were unusual," said Sprouse, a numismatist -- a word which means coin specialist. "But it was that first coin that provided the spark."

Sprouse, now 53, opened River City Coins in 1986 and said his business has shone for most of those years. In fact, Sprouse is celebrating his 10th year at his 713 Broadway address this year and looks forward to his 20th year in business in 2006.

"I'd say we've grown and prospered," he said last week, standing behind the long, glass cases that contain rows and rows of high-grade coins.

The store has tens of thousands of coins of all types and values. Sprouse has U.S. gold coins, silver eagle dollars and statehood quarters, and countless others. He has commemorative coins, such as the 1982 Washington half dollar and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics Commemorative Silver and Gold Coins.

Celebrity 'rounds'

For those who are drawn to more glamorous images than long-dead presidents and windy statesmen, he also has what are known as celebrity silver and gold "rounds," which aren't coins, but are more akin to medallions.

On one, there's a golden wavy-haired Elvis Presley with a majestic Graceland depicted on the back. Another features a bespectacled John Lennon with a smaller image of his wife, Yoko Ono. There's a nearly nude Madonna and a more elegant Marilyn Monroe.

There are several treasures at River City Coin, for those who want to look.

"People love the novelty of it," Sprouse said. "The older coins especially had beautiful designs."

To hear Sprouse tell it, coins currently in circulation aren't nearly as interesting as the change that our great-grandfathers jingled in their pockets. For example, the Mercury dimes issued from 1916 to 1945 had an image of the winged Roman god of speed and skill on them.

"It was an allegorical representation of liberty," Sprouse said. "There were wings on his head that represented freedom of thought. It's a fascinating coin. Now, we have a dime with Roosevelt on it. It's really kind of stale and not very much to look at."

From 1916 to 1930, U.S. quarters showed Lady Liberty, standing proud with her shield ready to defend her country. But in her other hand, she's holding an olive branch.

"She'd rather have peace," Sprouse explained, "but she's ready for war if she needs to fight. It's a great coin. We replaced it with a picture of George Washington, which, again, is rather stale comparatively."

Sprouse, a former banker, clearly is crazy about coins, and it's an asset his customers appreciate.

"His advice is impeccable," said Charles James, a local collector who has shopped with Sprouse since the store opened. "He's as knowledgeable a coin collector as there is. He truly has the best coin shop between St. Louis and Memphis."

Sprouse said he loves coming to work each day. He recalls reading a story about a coin shop in St. Louis, in which a man walked in with six extremely rare and valuable coins.

"They guy had no idea what he had," Sprouse said. "But it turned out to be a quarter-million-dollar deal. That just as easily could have been my store. You never know what's going to walk through that door."

Sprouse did have a day almost like that when a man named Greg Senske walked in. Three years ago, Senske and his wife found an unusual coin that he had received from a factory cafeteria and brought it to Sprouse.

On one side was the head of George Washington stamped on the head of a Sacagawea gold dollar. It was a rare U.S. Mint error and one that now finds Senske in possession of a coin that may be as valuable as $100,000.

"He still has it, and I told him if he ever wants to sell it, I'd love to put in on my Web site," Sprouse said.

Those who collect coins may wonder how a shop like Sprouse's survives.

"I have never had any doubts about being able to be successful," Sprouse said. "Cape has a fine, strong economy, and it's large enough to support this kind of business."

Even though most current coins aren't really collectible, Sprouse said that coin collecting has seen something of a resurgence in recent years with the statehood quarters program that began in 1997.

Arkansas, the 25th state quarter released through the U.S. Mint program, was the most recent to be issued.

"The coin hobby is robust," he said. "This is the best time I've seen in all my years in the business."

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137